I’ve been feeling a little under the weather this weekend, which should be no surprise since we had a long holiday weekend to mark Martin Luther King, Jr. These things tend to coincide well with time slated to be spent out of the office.
NPR’s On the Media included some of their favorite clips at the end of the January 6th broadcast, including this gem about the Justin Timberlake – Janet Jackson dust-up during the Superbowl.
KATYA ROGERS: I love this clip. Brooke’s speaking to reporter Pam Constable in Kabul about the controversial appearance of women on Afghan TV.
BROOKE GLADSTONE: You talk about an election season in Afghanistan. Of course we have one here, and we also have an argument over broadcast standards that won’t seem to go away. From where you stand, how does Janet Jackson’s little problem seem to you?
PAMELA CONSTABLE: You know, I’m sorry, Brooke, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.
BROOKE GLADSTONE: It’s been dominating the headlines here. During the halftime show at the Super Bowl, Justin Timberlake reached over and – [OVERTALK]
PAMELA CONSTABLE: Who is Justin Timberlake? I am in the mountains of Central Asia. Who is Justin? Who are these people? [LAUGHTER]
BROOKE GLADSTONE: [LAUGHS] I really envy you.
PAMELA CONSTABLE: [LAUGHS]
Ok, it’s not as funny as a transcript, but by all means check it out.
Still think replacing Social Security with personal accounts is a good idea? Check out this article for more information on the vaunted model of privitization, Chile.
It was as if the Angel of Death descended upon us, without the comfort of knowing whether you had the mark of safety over your door. We sat huddled at our desks, wondering, waiting, hungering after any news. Rumors zipped along the various communication forms like wildfire, bringing names. More often than not the e-mails would come, confirming the rumor. “I can’t believe it” became the day’s refrain.
By afternoon we began venturing out. Huddled in doorways and hallways, questioning, comforting, supporting, we began to put the pieces together. More names flowed upon the ether, with more goodbyes and good lucks handed out. Some had been expecting, making plans; others were just beginning to process. All were sad. Those of us who remained questioned which was the luckier set. For today was pink slip day. And so tomorrow the work begins.
The CS Monitor finally begins catching up on the K-Street project, recognizing that this isn’t your daddy’s political corruption. While the make the key association, their “endorsment” of action at the end is weak.
The question around town now is what should be done to clean up lobbying? But the moment after it is asked there are a series of provisos about how Abramoff is a rare case and most lobbyists are honest and play by the rules. And since what Abramoff did was against the law already, what more can be done?
There’s something of a point there. Lobbying isn’t a dirty profession by definition, after all. It is an established part of the political process that helps groups and individuals get what they want from the system. But because of what they do, lobbyists naturally dance on a fine line, and it is guaranteed they will step over it from time to time.
That’s all true, of course. It’s just that they probably tend to go a lot further over the line when the political parties give them a push.
Anyone looking to cash in on the XBox 360 demand should pick up some consoles from Japan, where demand has been weak. It appears the Japanese aren’t too gung ho on the console or the games.
Now that I have a moment, I’m going to begin my brief retrospective on 2005 with my travels. While I made it to many destinations over the preceeding twelve months, there are several sights I’ve had the good fortune to see that remain stuck in my head. And while it was difficult to sort out those that would make the top 5, here goes.
1. The Petronas Towers – Kuala Lumpur – Currently the second tallest building in the world (tallest twin towers), they rise above the skyline of KL and are a phenomenal sight to see. Each tower is shaped after a five-pointed star, with a skybridge connecting them.
2. Bar Charlotte – Charlotte, NC – THE favorite hangout spot when we actually had a few minutes free during our migration weekends in Charlotte, this bar was a riot. Women were dancing on the bar, and there was at least one swing up there as well. On the opposite side of the room, high above everyone, were several poles to dance on. And don’t forget the mechanical bull for good measure. There are things I saw I won’t soon forget.
3. Manoa Falls – Island of Oahu, Hawaii – After a trek along a rough path (flipflops = bad idea), your reward is a beautiful waterfall raining down from at least 100 feet up. The lush vegetation makes the locale feel remote, even though you’re just a short drive from Waikiki and Honalulu.
4. The Andes Mountains – Mendoza, Argentina – Though I never made it to the Andes up close (the tours I found were entirely in Spanish, making it difficult to jusity both the cash and the 7 am departure), from Mendoza they were always off to the horizon, rising up and providing a phenomenal backdrop for this fertile agricultural region.
5. Rutgers v. ASU in the Insight Bowl – Phoenix, AZ – The 10,000 fans in scarlet were excited come game time. Though we were outnumbered in the stands and outgunned in the end, the trip was well worth it to be present at the first RU bowl appearance in 27 years.
Runners-up include the baggage handling facility in the Houston Airport, the Northwest Folk Festival in Seattle, and the red rocks of Sedona in Arizona.
While 2005 was a relatively quiet year on the negative side, terminal D at the Philadelphia International Airport is the worst terminal I have experienced. The closest airport that compares is perhaps the temrinal in San Jose, Costa Rica. Both are heavy, bloated concrete dungeons with practically no amenities. Even the terminal in Mendoza, with its single jetway, was a nicer place than Terminal D.
Dubai was in the news earlier this week, as the 15 year leader of the city-state died Wednesday. What I found most curious when reading this article is how the city-state’s story was similar to that of another city-state, Singapore. Both surrounded by more powerful, resource rich countries, yet became relative beacons in their regions due to the relative economic prosperity, stability and security. And while both are known for relatively strong-handed governments (with Dubai’s not even elected, a reform that has been promised but not delivered), political and social liberalisation continues in both locales.
There’s finally some truly good news in Iraq, which may make the conflict “winnable” for the US in the long-term. The terrorist organization Al Qaeda in Iraq, run by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, may have finally overplayed its hand. Recent attacks, including the Jordanian hotel bombing, may be shifting public sentiment against the Al Qaeda aspect of the insurgency. As the group loses its support, it also loses the war on the critical moral level, which is fundamental for sustaining a long-term asymmetrical war. If the US can, one way or another, exploit this division, there is the potential for the US to achieve the primary goal of not enabling Iraq to become a new hotbed of jihad.